Clara was alone. The big house felt empty around her. Aunt Agnes and Uncle Paul were away. It was late. Outside, the night was very dark. She sat on the sofa. The TV was on, but she did not watch it. The house was too quiet.
Then she heard a sound. *Click.* It came from upstairs. Clara stopped breathing. She waited. Nothing.
“It’s just the wind,” she told herself. The old house made many sounds. She tried to watch the TV again.
A few minutes later, another sound. *Creak.* It was slow. It was from the hall upstairs. Her heart began to beat fast. *Thump-thump, thump-thump.* It was not the wind. The sound was too clear.
Clara turned off the TV. The sudden quiet was loud. She looked at her phone. The screen showed a red battery sign. Very low. She needed her phone. She felt a cold feeling in her stomach.
She stood up. Her legs felt weak. She walked to the bottom of the stairs. The dark hall went up into more darkness. She could not see anything. Her eyes tried to find a shape.
Then she saw it. A shadow moved near the top of the stairs. It was big. Too big to be a cat.
“Hello?” Clara’s voice was small. No answer came back. The air felt heavy.
She turned around slowly. She walked to the kitchen. Her hands were shaking. She opened a drawer. She found a big, sharp knife. The knife felt heavy and cold in her hand. It did not make her feel safe.
She heard a floorboard creak again. It was closer now. Downstairs. In the living room. He was coming. Clara did not think it was “it” anymore. It was “he.”
Clara looked around the kitchen. Where could she go? There was a small pantry door in the corner. She opened it. Inside, it was very dark. It smelled of flour and dry spices. She went in and pulled the door almost shut. She left a small crack to see out.
She held her breath. She heard footsteps in the kitchen. Slow. Heavy. They stopped near the sink. Clara’s whole body shook. She closed her eyes for a moment.
Then, a hand touched the pantry door. It pushed the door open a little more. A dark eye looked in. It was black and still. It saw her.
Clara screamed. It was a loud, raw sound. She pushed the door with all her power. The door hit the wall. She did not wait. She ran. She ran to the back door. She pulled it open.
The cold night air hit her face. She ran out. She did not look back at the big, dark house. She ran down the garden path. The trees were black shapes around her. She ran and ran. She did not stop. She could still hear the house, or maybe it was just her own fear.
The End